1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sifting devices and plant pollinators. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a vibratory sifting device for the purpose of liberating pollen from stamen of collected plant articles and distributing the sifted pollen onto a target plant for fertilization. The device comprises a vibratory motor, an enclosure or support for collected plant articles, and a screen for dispensing loose pollen directly onto the stigma or ovule of target plants for fertilization.
Biotic pollination is the process whereby pollen is transferred between plants by means of an external biological carrier, which allows fertilization to take place without the plant having a natural means to spread its own pollen. The process begins when the carrier, such as a bee, bird or similar biological organism, comes into contact with the pollen-generating stamen of a first plant and transfers the pollen that becomes attached thereto to the stigma of another plant. The pollen attaches to the carrier through physical contact and electrostatic cling, while the movement of the organism between different plants allows for fertilization and sexual reproduction of many plants.
A recent development in pollinator decline has been tracked and studied in the past several decades. This decline has marked a significant threat to the ability of flowering plant species to propagate reproduce and facilitate genetic diversity through cross pollination. Carrier species spread pollen over considerable distances, ensuring plants reproduce with partner plants over wide ranges and not in localized areas. As the population of certain pollinators, particularly bees and similar insects, declines, the ability of these plants to reproduce is significantly impacted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been developed and disclosed in the prior art that are related to the collection of pollen from carrier animals, as well as those that are adapted to spread pollen manually from one flowering plant to another. Collection devices are generally related to beekeeping activities and the collection of pollen therefrom, while the pollen spreaders are generally air pressure devices that force a pollen/air mixture onto a target flower for fertilization purposes. These devices, while suited for their particular requirements and fulfilling a need in the art, fail to disclose a device as described by the present invention.
The present invention comprises a handheld, vibratory sifting device, wherein an enclosure of flowering plant articles are disturbed to separate and spread the pollen generated therefrom. A screen at the base of the enclosure allows the user to spread the pollen manually, which is sifted therethrough and separated from its originating plant. Above the enclosure is a motorized vibrating device with a user handle. The device sends vibrations through the enclosure to separate the pollen from the plants, which allows the user to collect or spread the pollen for manual fertilization without a natural carrier. Cross-pollination across different plants can be accomplished and controlled, ensuring strong genetic diversity and healthy plant growth.
Devices in the art related to pollen dispersement and manual pollination include U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,660 to Hosaka, which discloses a hand-held pollinator comprising a casing with a pump mechanism mounted therein. A pollen storage container is removably attached to the casing while a discharge conduit extends from the pump to the chamber for pressurization. A nozzle permits a pressurized stream of pollen to be expelled from the chamber upon pressurization and discharged into the airstream for distribution onto a target plant. The house includes a power source, a trigger for operation and a motor to operate the pump. The Hosaka device is ideal for dispensing a volume of granulated pollen stored within the storage container. It is not adapted to separate pollen from flowering plants and discharging the pollen with the same mechanism. An amount of processed or retrieved pollen must be placed into the container, as opposed to a volume of pollen generating plants ready for pollen separation due to induced vibration.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,548,487 to Marchant discloses a pollenizing device for spreading pollen for fertilization purposes. The device comprises pole formed with a longitudinal tube that runs the length of the pole. The proximal end of the tube terminates in a bulb pump, which is depressible to force air into the tube and out through the distal end of the pole. Along the length of the tube is a hopper for loading granular pollen thereinto. The pollen is fed into the tube, and the pressure from the bulb pump forces its contents out through the working end of the tube and onto a plant specimen. The Marchant device is similar to the Hosaka device, wherein a pressure driven device is disclosed for spreading granular pollen. The Marchant device is provided in an elongated pole form, particularly suited for fertilizing fruit trees and other plants out of reach of a user. The present invention, alternatively, separates pollen from its originating flower through vibratory excitation. After separation, the loose pollen is dispersed through a screen attached to the enclosure housing the flowering plants and separated pollen.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,791 to Al-Rawi discloses a plant duster and dispenser of pollen, comprising a small tube for dispensing the pollen dust and a container housing the pollen prior to dispensation. A tubular air pump having threads pumps air through the tube sections to the container, whereby to entrain the dust and dispense the dust through the provided small tube. Similar to the aforementioned patents, the Al-Rawi device utilizes an air pump as a means to deliver granulated pollen dust from a container and through a tube. The device is not suited for the same purpose or intent as the present invention, which is operable with flowering plants prior to pollen extraction.
The present invention is a pollinator device and pollen dust sifter that comprises a vibrating enclosure housing flowering plants, whereby induced vibration on the enclosure separates the pollen from the stamen of the plants. The resulting liberated pollen dust is then communicated through a sifter screen at the base of the enclosure, while the user controls the sifting process via a hand-held grip along the top of the enclosure. A further embodiment of the sifter device employs a wand vibrating tool attached to a sifting bowl at its distal end, providing a smaller means to extract and dispense pollen dust. The design of the present invention and its embodiments substantially diverge in elements from the prior art. Consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing pollinator devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.